A Guide To RDA/RTA/RDTA/RBA

The keywords in acronyms such as RDA, RTA, RBA, RDTA and more is Rebuildable Atomizers, and there are many types of rebuildable tanks that can help vapers complete their perfect vaping setup. Those new to vaping can be completely overwhelmed or perturbed by the apparent complexity of rebuildables and rebuildable tanks, but it is not as complicated as you may imagine.

With a rebuildable atomizer, the user can construct the coil and wick assembly as opposed to purchasing the coil head themselves. Once vapers have invested time and effort into researching and building their rebuildable atomizers, the coil can have a desired resistance. Coils can be made from a number of materials, but is usually made from kanthal, and the wick is commonly cotton. As the vaping community has become more sophisticated, some users now often don't even use tanks to vape. These vape setups are usually still referred to as RBAs, though.

By using an RBA, the vaper is completing the electrical circuit, essentially replacing the role played by the coil. On the deck, where the posts are and the e-juice is vaporised from, the user places a wick through the coil where it can absorb the e-liquid. Using rebuildable setups can be more cost effective than buying continually purchasing and changing coils. The user will also experience better flavour and vapour. However, it's important that vapers really know what they're doing with rebuildables as they're complex and dangerous if not handled properly.

RDAs (Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer)

RDA stands for Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer and is widely considered among the vaping community to produce some of the best and purest flavour. An RDA is an RBA featuring a deck with posts to anchor coils and connect to the battery which heats the coils and produces the vapour. The deck usually features an outer shell or cap, which is screwed on using o-rings. RDAs do not hold any e-liquid, and instead, e-liquid is dripped from the bottle onto the coil and wick after removing the outer shell.

For this reason, RDAs hold minimal e-liquid. It's important that vapers literally drip e-liquid drop by drop to minimise waste. Once dripped, the e-liquid flavour will only last a few inhales, and then you'll need to drip more liquid. Although an RDA can be the best vaping setup to experience flavour, many consider the setup inefficient and hassle as there's a lot to carry around.

RTAs (Rebuildable Tank Atomizer)

An RTA is a Rebuildable Tank Atomizer, which features a deck with posts and a sealed metal chamber cap which is protect an e-juice tank reservoir. Vapour is directed to the drip tip via a chimney. As e-liquid is absorbed by the wick it is delivered to the rebuildable coil and then vaporised.

The advantage of an RTA is that it combines customisability with the more familiar vape tank-style device. You can fill your juice reservoir with e-liquid rather than dripping drops onto the coil and wick.

RDTA (Rebuildable Dripping Tank Atomizer)

An RDTA is a Rebuildable Dripping Tank Atomizer, a combination of an RDA and RTA and can be very difficult for beginners to get their head around.

The origin of RDTAs is effectively a fossil in the vaping community. Originally, RDTAs were known by many as auto-drippers, featuring a deck, posts, chamber cap and tank as well as a spring-loaded pump for users to manually control the flow of e-liquid from the reservoir to the wicks and coils. However, the complexities of maintaining and using these devices made them difficult for many to use, and were often unreliable and underperforming.

An RDTA is an RDA with a tank beneath it, combining the perceived benefits of the two. RDTAs have holes drilled through the deck floor with wick ends touching it to saturate e-liquid forced up by gravity pressure.